It occurred to me recently that I may take too much for granted when discussing and/or preparing recipes and that I should, perhaps, explain some some of my directions and techniques a little more completely. In order to do that I am going to be a little more diligent in posting my tips in Kitchen Basics. This one on Clarified Butter is an effort to do just that.  And while we’re melting butter, we might as well talk about how to make a truly delicious Browned Butter as well.

I was talking with a friend about a recipe that I was working on and mentioned that I was in the process of clarifying some butter for that. She then went on to ask me exactly what I meant by “clarifying” butter (beurre noisette) and what the purpose was in doing so.

Ya’ know, I had just never stopped to think about it before. It was just one of those cooking basics that I just seemed to know. Just like a myriad of others probably. My mom, who was a decent but not great cook, pretty much turned over the kitchen to me when I was in upper elementary school. As you know, and as my bio, points out however, I literally grew up cooking at the knees of two grandmothers who were outstanding home cooks.

Actually, I guess my maternal grandmother qualifies technically as a professional cook since she ruled our schools’s cafeteria for thirty years or more. And those were the days of scratch cooking—most definitely NOT the school cafeteria of today. In our school it was a rare thing for anyone to bring a sack lunch because our food was so, so good.

So, if you are an experienced cook, you may want to scoot on along to a more challenging cooking post among the gazillions available to you. If, however, you’re. A beginner, then this is the place for you.

Clarified butter does not contain water or milk solids. It is able to withstand high temperatures—up to 400 degrees without burning. Regular butter will burn around 250 degrees.  The pure milk fat that is left after butter is clarified is rich and is excellent for browning meats and seafood and to use in sauces.  You won’t want to use it on your biscuits, however, since it tends to be grainy.  Use your whipped butter for smearing on your breads, potatoes, etc. if you are so inclined.

Ghee, which is a type of clarified butter often found in Indian markets, is browned and takes on a nutty taste in much the same way as the browned butter  described below. I keep ghee on hand to use for finishing sauces, soups and whenever I’m polishing up my Indian cuisine cooking skills.

Clarifying butter is very simple, honestly.

 You may have noticed that I prefer to use unsalted butter when I cook.  That is because I want to control the amount of salt I use. I also think the butter tastes sweeter without the added salt.

Salted butter usually contains about 80 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon, and since Hubby tends to salt his salt, well…he needs intervention with his sodium intake.  Many people prefer salted butter, and there’s nothing wrong with using it; it’s a matter of personal preference for the most part.  Salt acts as a preservative and prolongs the life of the butter.  For us, that does not present a problem.  

Just a note: if you want unsalted butter, make sure the package says “unsalted.” The term “sweet cream butter” can be used interchangeably with salted or unsalted butter.

Browned Butter:

Heat a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add in the desired amount of  butter.  Stir continuously as it melts; the liquids and solids will separate. Once melted the butter will foam up a bit, then subside. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should have a nutty aroma. As the butter melts down completely, the solids in the butter will begin to turn to a golden brown and then a deeper brown. Remove from heat and place on a cool surface to help stop the butter from cooking any additional cooking. Watch carefully so as not to burn.  If is does burn, you will need to start all over unless you want beurre noir  Set aside to cool slightly and do not stir, allowing the solids to completely settle to the bottom. Slowly strain off the butter and use immediately or store in the refrigerator.  Discard the solids.

You’ll grow to love the taste browned butter brings to your sauteed vegetables and baked goods.

Browned Butter Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Roasted Pumpkin with Browned Butter and Sage

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts